Here are some nibbles for you to nibble on.
Food Nibbles
– Last week, a group of us went to Prune for dinner and I ordered the monkfish liver appetizer. I didn’t know what to expect: how big could a monkfish liver be? Well the answer is: pretty big! And pretty tasty too. Monkfish liver should have a tagline: “the foie gras of the sea.” It has the richness and smoothness of foie gras but the brinyness and the salinity of something from the ocean. Served with pieces of toast, it’s one of the more unusual and exciting appetizers I’ve had in a long time. [Prune, by the way, remains one of my favorite low-key places to get a gourmet meal. We were very fortunate: I made the reservation last minute and the woman said, “Do you mind sitting downstairs?” I wasn’t sure what that meant but I said: “Sure–that works.” When we got there they led us downstairs to this isolated table beneath the stairs where we had an entire room to ourselves. It was lots of fun except for the few times people came down the stairs to use the bathroom. The bathroom down there has lightly frosted glass so you can see pretty clearly what’s going on in there. Our table faced the bathroom so we felt like voyeurs watching people pee while noshing on monkfish liver. Still, how often do you get to do that when you’re out to dine?]
Theater Nibbles
– I continue to be graced with free tickets to Broadway plays if I agree to write about them later (but only if I like them.) Well, Craig and I not only liked “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” (the most recent free ticket offering)–we loved it. Never before have we seen such explosive violence used to such great comic effect on stage. Heads literally explode before your eyes—walls are dripping with blood. It’s gruesome and gory but it’s wonderful: the audience is roaring with laughter and leaping out of their seats. Martin McDonough is rapidly becoming one of my favorite playwrights. “The Pillowman” last year was deeply memorable, and “The Lieutenant…” has moments of sheer visceral brilliance. The blurb pasted outside is dead-on: it’s like Monty Python meets Quentin Tarantino. If that tickles your fancy then go check it out and have yourself a raucous time.
Blog Nibbles
– Megnut is now a food blog and it’s rapidly becoming a “must-read.” I’ve already bookmarked several of the links she’s linked to (especially the Greenmarket Report which tells you what’s out there and what looks good) and I really enjoy her reviews and recollections. Go take a gander.
– Ayun Halliday of Dirty Sugar Cookies will be visiting this blog to promote her new book (aptly named “Dirty Sugar Cookies”) on June 13th. She’s a spunky funky writer and she’s married to one of the authors of one of my favorite musicals ever, Urinetown. I’m looking forward to her virtual visit.
This has been nibbles. Hope you’ve enjoyed the nibbling.
I have to admit, Ayun Halliday once advised me (on some BBS, a couple years back) where find to the best thrifting in NYC — I just about squee’d my pants with fangirlish delight.
I liked Lieutenant when I saw it in London a few years ago, but by the end I was a bit grossed out. It is very bloody. Did they use a real cat at the end? In London they did and they just changed the lines based on what he did.
I saw that back to back with Stones in His Pockets, which is also a must-see if you get a chance. :-) Yay for Irish theatre.
On Iron Chef (the original, Japanese one), they DO call monkfish liver the fois gras of the sea.
Yummy. Loved the Nibbles, hungry for more. You lead an enviable life.
Long time listener, first time caller:
Thanks for the laugh out loud over your burn scar incident. No, really, I sympathize but I laughed out loud having done the same kind of SS (in my circle of friends translates to “stupid sh**”). And high five with a finger wiggle on the new guy in your life. He’s a cutie and he sounds really nice too. Good luck!
Actually, I’m pretty sure it was angler fish liver that was the foie gras of the sea. Unless I’m mistaken and they are both the same thing?